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The Qualities of a Performer.. How "Not" to Get Nervous... It's one thing to go out dancing for fun, but it's an entirely different story once you start competing or performing. Pressure for perfection becomes paramount, with little to no tolerance for error from the people who hired you, the judges, and the audience watching you. Picture this... You're about ready to enter center stage, the heat of the lights are shining on you, a ball of sweat starts running down your cheek... you start running the routine in your head...you can feel your heart pounding... you start taking big, deep breaths of air... ....suddenly, you have to pee. You notice the audience watching... waiting and anticipating the entertainment - YOU. You wonder if you have time to use the restroom.... you look at your watch - darn... you took it off in the dressing room. Your mind goes numb. "Ladies and gentlemen, The announcer calls out your name. You feel the warmth and glare of the lights on your face and thank God you can't see the audience anymore... just the lights. You grab your partner's hand for reassurance. At this point, you have two choices: You can either...
If you choose option a), be prepared to:
If you choose option b), be prepared to:
"When I compete, I get nervous, but when I perform, I'm relaxed. I really get into it." - Salomon Rivera, International Salsa Champion, Orange County, CA Let's analyze that statement. When he's competing, he's worried about the judges, and what they think of his every move. He knows that most of them are trained instructors who have been hired to judge, which means, "critique". He's dancing for their approval and for their points... thinking mostly about "them". Since it's the judges he's concerned and "thinking" about, he's more than likely to make a mistake. "I don't get nervous when I perform in front of people I don't know, but when I perform for my friends and family, I lose my confidence." - Al "Liquid Silver" .., Professional Dancer/Choreographer, Los Angeles, CA ... again, too worried about what they will think, his history with them, and all his past mistakes, rather than showing them what he's now made of. "Oh honey, don't think about the audience, just go out there and have fun." I hate when people tell me that. Unfortunately however, there is a lot of truth to that statement. Actually "having fun" is certainly easier said than done, but if you analyze it from a theoretical standpoint, this is EXACTLY what you should be doing - having fun out there, literally. Your audience is living their lives vicariously through you. They all had rough days at work, and need to be reminded of "fun" - and you're the one doing the reminding here. You've not only got to appear to be having fun, but you've got to actually be having fun to be convincing. When an actor "acts" his part, he is not "acting". He is truly living and breathing his role. When he laughs, he really laughs - from the heart, and truly thinks whatever he's laughing about is really hilarious. Even if he's had to rehearse it a thousand times - the best actors truly laugh when called for, and truly cry when called for. You cannot fake tears. You must believe and create them from deep within. The same goes for performing. When you are performing "for the audience", you are doing just that. Performing, impressing, influencing, and entertaining them. It is your job to make them laugh, cry, gasp, and clap. It is virtually impossible to do this if you're worried about what they will think of you. They should be more concerned over what YOU THINK OF THEM!!! How can you get them to laugh, to cry, to gasp, and to give you that standing ovation? What will it take to get them to love and remember you? How do you get them to sit on the edge of their chairs and scream at the end of your routine? You do it by going all out, and showing them what you are made of. Impressing them with you facial expressions, your smile, your character, and your inner joy. When you feel the joy of your own show, trust me, they will feel it as well. Believe it or not, the audience is subconsciously picturing themselves as you, and are imagining being on stage, right there with you. Impress them, love them, embrace them, and welcome them to your world. They are invited by you, and only you. Realize that your audience are your guests, in your beautiful and exciting world. Make them feel right at home, and you'll have nothing to be worried, or nervous about! After reading this article, if there's only one thing you can remember, let it be this thought. If you're nervous, NOBODY CARES. |
